MagSeven:eddiesocket: MagSeven: When did I say I didn't know about Fring's account? Putting words in my mouth as well as the show's I see.

If it was in a "secret offshore account" how the fark would the DEA get to it?

FRING HAD THE OFFSHORE ACCOUNT! FRING!!!!!! WHY WOULD MIKE HAVE THE SAME ACCOUNT AS FRING?!!

One more time, because I genuinely suspect that you're just really farking stupid and not a troll; there were multiple accounts discovered by the DEA. One was in Kaylee's name. The DEA took all of Mike's money, forcing Mike to go into business with Walt against his better judgment. In this episode, they took all of his money again, forcing him to go on the run with a duffle bag. Obviously, the lady at the bank told the DEA about all the safety deposit boxes. No one ever expects to hear from Mike again.

I think it's being overlooked on how Jesse would find out about Walt's games and poisoning Brock.

Saul knows. He had his fat goon lift the rison cig off Jesse, and he has to have been involved in poisoning Brock. Once it comes to light Mike is dead, Jesse and Saul will know it's Walt. Saul will then come clean with Jesse, and that will put Jesse over the edge.

I thought all the safety deposit boxes were for the families of the 9 in jail. I think I remember Mikes lawyer sayingsomething to the effect that the boxes were empty and that everyone was making their regular pick-ups, meaning thefamilies of the 9 in jail. Anyone recall how many boxes were unlocked?

ckevinc:I thought all the safety deposit boxes were for the families of the 9 in jail. I think I remember Mikes lawyer sayingsomething to the effect that the boxes were empty and that everyone was making their regular pick-ups, meaning thefamilies of the 9 in jail. Anyone recall how many boxes were unlocked?

ckevinc:I thought all the safety deposit boxes were for the families of the 9 in jail. I think I remember Mikes lawyer sayingsomething to the effect that the boxes were empty and that everyone was making their regular pick-ups, meaning thefamilies of the 9 in jail. Anyone recall how many boxes were unlocked?

The Homer Tax:Trocadero: The reason Walt flips out and kills Mike is b/c Jesse respected and liked Mike more than Walt.

That's not why Walt killed Mike.

Am I even watching the same show as some of you people? I gotta be honest, I get a kick out of reading some of these theories, and agree it's fun to speculate, but holy cow some of you are out there. I'm just going to throw this out there: Walter White didn't buy a giagntic machine gun one year from now for an epic showdown with his wife and/or protege, yo.

All I can offer you is this: Whatever you're thinking? It's probably wrong. That's what's so great about this show, it's really hard to predict most things that happen. It wasn't just last week that half the people on here were predicting some sort of Epic showdown where Mike takes out walt to end the season or series.

But what happened? Everything and nothing instead. Mike didn't go out with a proverbial "bang," he went out with a wimper. There was no great reckoning, there was no epic showdown, no one got their come-uppance. Big, Bad Mike died a lonely old man staring at a river, having been shot by a former Chemistry teacher turned wannabe drug kingpin for little more than insulting his pride. How many of your called that for the penultimate episode of the second to last "season?" Not many, I bet.

The Homer Tax:rocky_howard: Anybody got this guy's cameo during the cooking montage? I just bursted out laughing. They definitely did it on purpose to break up a very tense episode with some comic relief.

ckevinc:I thought all the safety deposit boxes were for the families of the 9 in jail. I think I remember Mikes lawyer sayingsomething to the effect that the boxes were empty and that everyone was making their regular pick-ups, meaning thefamilies of the 9 in jail. Anyone recall how many boxes were unlocked?

That's exactly what they were for.

Now that Mike is dead and the money is gone, the 8 dudes in prison have no reason not to talk. Now Walt has to go after them too.

This is my prediction of how things go down: Walt and Lydia go after the 8 in prison and take a few out. Word gets out that the money dried up and they prison dudes are getting picked off. Todd puts two and two together. Todd and his "prison connections" go after Walt.That's why Walt is armed to the teeth; because he's now got an entire crime syndicate after him.Walt goes out in a huge gunfight ala Scareface, and Todd pops him from behind. Walt never sees him coming.

The idiot lawyer always went to take care of 9 accounts every two weeks or monthly or whatever.The DEA knows he's the lawyer for the 9 guys.When idiot lawyer arrives at bank after Mike got his 5 million, he told the fat woman "oh and this time I need 603" as in Kaylee's box.When Gomie snatched him up, he was just depositing for the 9 guys again.

Gomie/DEA never knew about Kaylee's money. They just took the 9 guys' money.

The idiot lawyer always went to take care of 9 accounts every two weeks or monthly or whatever.The DEA knows he's the lawyer for the 9 guys.When idiot lawyer arrives at bank after Mike got his 5 million, he told the fat woman "oh and this time I need 603" as in Kaylee's box.When Gomie snatched him up, he was just depositing for the 9 guys again.

Gomie/DEA never knew about Kaylee's money. They just took the 9 guys' money.

You don't think the bank lady gave up box 603? You don't think the lawyer is going to spill about that one too?

NASAM:ckevinc: I thought all the safety deposit boxes were for the families of the 9 in jail. I think I remember Mikes lawyer sayingsomething to the effect that the boxes were empty and that everyone was making their regular pick-ups, meaning thefamilies of the 9 in jail. Anyone recall how many boxes were unlocked?

That's exactly what they were for.

Now that Mike is dead and the money is gone, the 8 dudes in prison have no reason not to talk. Now Walt has to go after them too.

This is my prediction of how things go down: Walt and Lydia go after the 8 in prison and take a few out. Word gets out that the money dried up and they prison dudes are getting picked off. Todd puts two and two together. Todd and his "prison connections" go after Walt.That's why Walt is armed to the teeth; because he's now got an entire crime syndicate after him.Walt goes out in a huge gunfight ala Scareface, and Todd pops him from behind. Walt never sees him coming.

Why would Todd go after Walt? I'm sure his prison connections will be what enables Walt to kill the eight guys in the first place.

The idiot lawyer always went to take care of 9 accounts every two weeks or monthly or whatever.The DEA knows he's the lawyer for the 9 guys.When idiot lawyer arrives at bank after Mike got his 5 million, he told the fat woman "oh and this time I need 603" as in Kaylee's box.When Gomie snatched him up, he was just depositing for the 9 guys again.

Gomie/DEA never knew about Kaylee's money. They just took the 9 guys' money.

You don't think the bank lady gave up box 603? You don't think the lawyer is going to spill about that one too?

Of course. Saul even said they got the money. Poor Kaylee. I mean, could you imagine having to grow up without 5 million dollars in drug money being handed to you on your 18th birthday?

eddiesocket:NASAM: ckevinc: I thought all the safety deposit boxes were for the families of the 9 in jail. I think I remember Mikes lawyer sayingsomething to the effect that the boxes were empty and that everyone was making their regular pick-ups, meaning thefamilies of the 9 in jail. Anyone recall how many boxes were unlocked?

That's exactly what they were for.

Now that Mike is dead and the money is gone, the 8 dudes in prison have no reason not to talk. Now Walt has to go after them too.

This is my prediction of how things go down: Walt and Lydia go after the 8 in prison and take a few out. Word gets out that the money dried up and they prison dudes are getting picked off. Todd puts two and two together. Todd and his "prison connections" go after Walt.That's why Walt is armed to the teeth; because he's now got an entire crime syndicate after him.Walt goes out in a huge gunfight ala Scareface, and Todd pops him from behind. Walt never sees him coming.

Why would Todd go after Walt? I'm sure his prison connections will be what enables Walt to kill the eight guys in the first place.

eddiesocket:It will almost certainly never be mentioned again. Saul said they confiscated all of Mike's money. Neither the bank lady nor the lawyer have any reason not to tell the DEA about that box.

Saul said they confiscated Mike's bankroll and then Walt said the 9 guys will flip.

Kaylee's money wasn't part of the "bankroll" since it was a 1 time payment.

And again, Mike would NOT leave town if it meant Kaylee would be penniless. He'd have struck a deal with the DEA and sent Walt into hell. Kaylee is the only reason he's even dealing with Walt again in the first place.

MagSeven:-Was Walt thinking clearly enough to wipe his prints off of Mike's tan "get out of town" bag or take it with him? His prints may be on record from his previous arrest...

- Is little Kaylee's trust now in the hands of the DEA? It would suck if they seized that. That's all Mike was really in it for. Maybe Jesse will do right by her assuming Walt doesn't fark his life up as well.

I think that box is safe. Remember how explicit lawyer guy was about it being full? He didn't have lady open it the time the cops were there, just the usual ones. They also have no surveillance pictures of person associated with that box. DEA had a cork board with nine people walking in to collect, but nothing about that last box, not even a spot to put the picture when they finally got it.

Not Available:I thought that the last one he looked at was Mike sitting at the table in the diner (from the first or second episode this season). There is a woman standing in the picture, with her back to the camera, presumably walking towards the table. I think that the woman is Lydia, the attorney for Madrigal. (This was the meeting where she freaked out and told Mike he needed to kill his crew). My guess is that Hank eventually figures this out and then leans on Lydia for information. Given her disposition, she likely will spill the beans on her involvement in providing methylamine to Walter & Jesse.

rocky_howard:eddiesocket: It will almost certainly never be mentioned again. Saul said they confiscated all of Mike's money. Neither the bank lady nor the lawyer have any reason not to tell the DEA about that box.

Saul said they confiscated Mike's bankroll and then Walt said the 9 guys will flip.

Kaylee's money wasn't part of the "bankroll" since it was a 1 time payment.

And again, Mike would NOT leave town if it meant Kaylee would be penniless. He'd have struck a deal with the DEA and sent Walt into hell. Kaylee is the only reason he's even dealing with Walt again in the first place.

What deal could he strike that would persuade the cops to let Kaylee keep drug money? And why again would the lawyer not tell the cops about the box? And how will Kaylee ever learn about the box, come to think of it?Saying Mike "would never do that" makes no sense. He did it. Certainly, he's got to know that there's at least a very strong possibility Kaylee's money is gone. And yet he still ran.

Confabulat:I thought about that too, but with the music and the way Hank was looking back and forth, like he was piecing something together, and the way the camera focused on those three photos in turn, makes me think he saw something, or we could see something. Might be reading too much into it, but Breaking Bad doesn't usually do things without a purpose.

My guess: His left- or right-handedness (I can't really tell from the photos but I'm no master detective) which may come into play if Walt tries to play this off as a suicide next week.

Shot in the dark.

Mike is getting into the safe car in the first picture, not the car the cops surrounded at the park when he was visiting the kid. Is Hank noticing all these cars, lost in the third picture trying to see what kind of car is out the window?

that bosnian sniper:EddieMoscone: And I said to my wife during Todd's first cooking experience, "That kid is major trouble."

Oh yeah, Todd is a red strobe light with a foghorn attached. There's nothing about that character that isn't trouble. I can very easily imagine him taking Walt's recipe now that he has it, trying to off (or muscle out) Walt and take over as cook, especially considering the Vamonos company is already doing 90% of the labor, Walt's just cooking and has no friends/muscle of his own.

My thought exactly. Todd is the Spider in the Glass Jar, he's helpless if contained, but if you let him out (Teach him how to cook) he will be deadly. Todd will be the knew Kingpin.

cousin-merle:Not Available: I thought that the last one he looked at was Mike sitting at the table in the diner (from the first or second episode this season). There is a woman standing in the picture, with her back to the camera, presumably walking towards the table. I think that the woman is Lydia, the attorney for Madrigal. (This was the meeting where she freaked out and told Mike he needed to kill his crew). My guess is that Hank eventually figures this out and then leans on Lydia for information. Given her disposition, she likely will spill the beans on her involvement in providing methylamine to Walter & Jesse.

They were sitting at a booth at the diner, not a table.

Plus, Mike wouldnt have met with her if he had known he was being tailed.

eddiesocket:What deal could he strike that would persuade the cops to let Kaylee keep drug money? And why again would the lawyer not tell the cops about the box? And how will Kaylee ever learn about the box, come to think of it?Saying Mike "would never do that" makes no sense. He did it. Certainly, he's got to know that there's at least a very strong possibility Kaylee's money is gone. And yet he still ran.

rocky_howard:eddiesocket: What deal could he strike that would persuade the cops to let Kaylee keep drug money? And why again would the lawyer not tell the cops about the box? And how will Kaylee ever learn about the box, come to think of it?Saying Mike "would never do that" makes no sense. He did it. Certainly, he's got to know that there's at least a very strong possibility Kaylee's money is gone. And yet he still ran.

cousin-merle:Confabulat: I thought about that too, but with the music and the way Hank was looking back and forth, like he was piecing something together, and the way the camera focused on those three photos in turn, makes me think he saw something, or we could see something. Might be reading too much into it, but Breaking Bad doesn't usually do things without a purpose.

My guess: His left- or right-handedness (I can't really tell from the photos but I'm no master detective) which may come into play if Walt tries to play this off as a suicide next week.

Shot in the dark.

Mike is getting into the safe car in the first picture, not the car the cops surrounded at the park when he was visiting the kid. Is Hank noticing all these cars, lost in the third picture trying to see what kind of car is out the window?

Also, as a follow up, does Hank know anyone else suddenly getting lots of cars? Where is all the money?

ckevinc:I thought all the safety deposit boxes were for the families of the 9 in jail. I think I remember Mikes lawyer sayingsomething to the effect that the boxes were empty and that everyone was making their regular pick-ups, meaning thefamilies of the 9 in jail. Anyone recall how many boxes were unlocked?

All 9. The board at the DEA office when Walt is there lists 9 numbers with 9 photos.

libranoelrose:I've tried to keep up with the thread while working, but has anyone covered how Kaylee will know that she gets the money when she turns 18?

Was the idiot lawyer supposed to inform her on her birthday, or was this one of the things that Mike was still paying Saul for?

Good question. Also, what money was he paying Saul with if he had every last dime in a seized account (remember he said something along the lines of "I'm paying Saul, he'll bring the Go bag"? Like I was saying, it makes a lot of sense for Mike to have multiple accounts and stashes of cash all around. Like how Walt and Jesse used to stash some of their earnings in Saul's safe. Mike seems too resourceful to put it all in one place or account. Especially if the DEA hit him hard financially once before.

cousin-merle:angrycrank: There's premeditation in what he did - he stole the gun - but a second's rational thought would have told him killing Mike was a BAD idea

Stealing the gun was to make sure Mike didn't use. Walt left it in the car when he went to talk to Mike, and only went to retrieve it after Mike pwned him. He was outmatched in the hand off.

I don't know. 1) Walt wouldn't have thought Mike had any reason to shoot him at that particular time. Yeah, he threatened him a bunch of times before, but he always had a reason. Mike wasn't so much into killing people unless he was paid to or they needed killing. No reason for him to do that when he's fleeing and Walt had just brought him the go bag (well, other than Walt being a crazy motherfarker, of course.)

But more importantly, 2) I don't think Walt would have thought Mike was unarmed (other than the gun in the bag). Since he had a legal concealed carry permit, he could still carry a legally registered gun in spite of the search warrant etc.

Who knows what Walt was thinking. But I think at some level he planned to at least threaten Mike with the gun if not kill him.

angrycrank:cousin-merle: angrycrank: There's premeditation in what he did - he stole the gun - but a second's rational thought would have told him killing Mike was a BAD idea

Stealing the gun was to make sure Mike didn't use. Walt left it in the car when he went to talk to Mike, and only went to retrieve it after Mike pwned him. He was outmatched in the hand off.

I don't know. 1) Walt wouldn't have thought Mike had any reason to shoot him at that particular time. Yeah, he threatened him a bunch of times before, but he always had a reason. Mike wasn't so much into killing people unless he was paid to or they needed killing. No reason for him to do that when he's fleeing and Walt had just brought him the go bag (well, other than Walt being a crazy motherfarker, of course.)

But more importantly, 2) I don't think Walt would have thought Mike was unarmed (other than the gun in the bag). Since he had a legal concealed carry permit, he could still carry a legally registered gun in spite of the search warrant etc.

Who knows what Walt was thinking. But I think at some level he planned to at least threaten Mike with the gun if not kill him.

I think Walt's plan was to threaten to kill Mike if he didn't give up the 9 names. Or maybe he just wanted the gun. He wasn't holding it originally; he had to go back to his car to get it. It definitely wasn't a planned murder, at any rate.

Just re-watched the episode. Whatever flaws it may have notwithstanding, I've gotta say that the "soundtrack" that plays over the ending credits is... moving. It's like you're listening in on Mike's thoughts as he waits to die.

eddiesocket:MagSeven: eddiesocket: angrycrank: The broader point - Saul will be made very unhappy and skittish by Mike's death

There's no reason for Saul or Jesse to ever know Mike died.

Mike pays Saul. Saul may think Mike may have just left town at first, but I'm sure he'd expect him to call to check up on personal affairs (particularly matters that relate to Kaylee that the other lawyer dropped the ball on).

Mike was leaving town for good. That's why he wanted the bag with the money and passport. Neither Jesse nor Saul ever expected to hear from Mike again.

angrycrank: I don't think Walt can effectively cover it up.

Todd and a barrel ought to do the trick.

And the car? It has a shot-out window, so can't just be abandoned. The scrapyard people knew Mike and probably his car too. And Todd? Todd is either a complete moron or has his own agenda (or maybe both). Walt would be a fool to rely on him to help cover up Mike's murder. Trust him, and he lets it slip accidentally or on purpose sooner or later.

angrycrank:eddiesocket: MagSeven: eddiesocket: angrycrank: The broader point - Saul will be made very unhappy and skittish by Mike's death

There's no reason for Saul or Jesse to ever know Mike died.

Mike pays Saul. Saul may think Mike may have just left town at first, but I'm sure he'd expect him to call to check up on personal affairs (particularly matters that relate to Kaylee that the other lawyer dropped the ball on).

Mike was leaving town for good. That's why he wanted the bag with the money and passport. Neither Jesse nor Saul ever expected to hear from Mike again.

angrycrank: I don't think Walt can effectively cover it up.

Todd and a barrel ought to do the trick.

And the car? It has a shot-out window, so can't just be abandoned. The scrapyard people knew Mike and probably his car too. And Todd? Todd is either a complete moron or has his own agenda (or maybe both). Walt would be a fool to rely on him to help cover up Mike's murder. Trust him, and he lets it slip accidentally or on purpose sooner or later.

I think Walt certainly has the means to cover it up. Obviously, it will be revealed at some point, though. Probably next year.

eddiesocket:rocky_howard: eddiesocket: It will almost certainly never be mentioned again. Saul said they confiscated all of Mike's money. Neither the bank lady nor the lawyer have any reason not to tell the DEA about that box.

Saul said they confiscated Mike's bankroll and then Walt said the 9 guys will flip.

Kaylee's money wasn't part of the "bankroll" since it was a 1 time payment.

And again, Mike would NOT leave town if it meant Kaylee would be penniless. He'd have struck a deal with the DEA and sent Walt into hell. Kaylee is the only reason he's even dealing with Walt again in the first place.

What deal could he strike that would persuade the cops to let Kaylee keep drug money? And why again would the lawyer not tell the cops about the box? And how will Kaylee ever learn about the box, come to think of it?Saying Mike "would never do that" makes no sense. He did it. Certainly, he's got to know that there's at least a very strong possibility Kaylee's money is gone. And yet he still ran.

The whole point of the scene is that Mike is willing to leave her. If he stays, he knows his goose is cooked. If he runs, he still has a chance to help her in the future. What a genius actor like Jonathan Banks gives you in that scene is amazing. Mike knows this is the last time he will see his granddaughter. He wants to say goodbye but can't. He is a criminal first, and self-preservation becomes his primary goal, though you can see it tears him up to do so. I don't think Mike is thinking about the money at that point. He is only thinking about what he is going to lose. His granddaughter if he runs. His freedom if he stays. Mike makes his choice. You can see the rage in him later when he is talking with Walt. He's as pissed about having to leave his granddaughter behind (his life that he says was good under Fring) than about losing the money.

I'm reminded of DeNiro's line in Heat when he said you cannot get attached to anything you are not willing to walk away from in 30 seconds flat. That's Mike.

It's possible that Kaylee's drug money trust fund is still intact. Her drop was one time only so the lawyer wasn't caught putting cash into box 603. The lawyer is already giving up the 9 guys' accounts and Mike so it's not like he needs to volunteer info about Kaylee's money. The bank lady might have given up all the box numbers, but she might have also given up just the regular numbers.

I think Walt's plan was to threaten to kill Mike if he didn't give up the 9 names. Or maybe he just wanted the gun. He wasn't holding it originally; he had to go back to his car to get it. It definitely wasn't a planned murder, at any rate.

The way it's cut, it's not clear whether Walt went to retrieve the gun or was carrying it all along (I thought the latter when I watched, basically because I was sure Walt was going to kill Mike from the time he opened the bag and saw the gun. So when I was watching the scene, Walt's body language suggested "guy who doesn't usually carry a gun carrying a gun." And I kept thinking "Now. He pulls out the gun now". And then Mike walks away, and Walt does, and I sigh with relief, and then...goddammit.) So the way I saw it, he turned toward his car to leave, then changed his mind and walked back to Mike's car. But the interpretation that the gun was in the car is equally plausible.

That's one of the great things about the show. Vince Gilligan himself has he doesn't know if Walt planned to shoot Mike or not. I definitely don't think he consciously planned it. But bringing a gun - Mike's gun - to an encounter with him? I DO think on some level he knew he could kill Mike at that meeting. Even if he just thought he might threaten Mike with the gun - Mike's not the kind of guy you point a gun at unless you mean it.

Baryogenesis:It's possible that Kaylee's drug money trust fund is still intact. Her drop was one time only so the lawyer wasn't caught putting cash into box 603. The lawyer is already giving up the 9 guys' accounts and Mike so it's not like he needs to volunteer info about Kaylee's money. The bank lady might have given up all the box numbers, but she might have also given up just the regular numbers.

Yeah, maybe. They did make a point of saying that box was full after the previous drop, so the lawyer probably was not making a deposit into that specific box on the trip when he was caught. With probable cause, though, they could get a warrant to search bank records and find Mike's connection to box 603. It's possible they don't do that, though, because they think the 9 boxes they got the lawyer depositing to are it, and Kaylee's fund gets missed.

Otto_E_Rodika:You can see the rage in him later when he is talking with Walt. He's as pissed about having to leave his granddaughter behind (his life that he says was good under Fring) than about losing the money.

I'm reminded of DeNiro's line in Heat when he said you cannot get attached to anything you are not willing to walk away from in 30 seconds flat. That's Mike.

Why do you think Hank asked Walt jr if he wanted to watch Heat a couple of episodes ago?

Vince Gilligan is a genius at foreshadowing. Which combined with the Scarface scene in the first episode + Walt carrying an M60 (not unlike Tony Montana) in the flashforward, makes me think he's really going to do a massive shootout at the end.

Stupid TiVoing and not being able to participate in the thread live. Still, interesting points made, and it's fun to read the wild guessing.

Doubt anyone's still around, but...

Crudbucket:I think we can pretty much confirm that Gomez is secretly a DEA agent.

If you meant FBI or Internal Affairs, I think you might be on to something. Especially with the throw-away (?) mention of the FBI in the budget conference call.

I think the big question right now is, "who knows how much?" I think the bug was already burned -- did we learn anything from it, any time after its immediate placement? I don't think so -- budget calls, charity fund raising, scheduling, nothing important. Yeah, that could be "wow, Hank's new job is boring," or it *could* be -- "they knew the bug was there, and wanted to see who would pick it up." Incidentally, this supports the notion of noticing the bug in a sweep, but not having a camera until the bug is discovered. On the other hand, knowing who *placed* it, and if they did, who knew, relies on the cameras being there first.

The interesting thing to me is -- who and when? If there's security in Hank's office, does Gomez know? Is there a set-up in place trying to find out if Hank is dirty, as someone already has an idea who Heisenberg is and that Hank is related to Heisenberg? Or does Hank know Walt is Heisenberg, and is trying to cover up or complete a case? The "oh, sure, I'll go get coffee" the *second* time was definitely "yup, but I was waiting until you asked," unlike the first time, where he seemed genuinely awkward, sympathetic and wanting to get the hell out of there.

I think Gomez could be working on Hank, or Hank could be working on Walt, or some combination. We'll see.

Also torn between Hank studying the pictures and noticing Walt's resemblance to Mike (something they've clearly been stepping up intentionally, while Mike doesn't age much at all), and recognizing Lydia -- did they already know Mike and Lydia knew each other, or did he just notice that (or just be on the verge of noticing)?

And as for Todd.... Yes, this is definitely trouble, and a *terrible* mistake on Walt's part, but one in a series of bad decisions. Walt thinks he's holding Todd as the spider in the jar, but once again, he is wrong -- just as he was with Jesse, Gus and Mike. Todd is holding the jar. Lots of signs point to him being filled with potential, not dumb as he looks.

Mike's death was wonderful -- really didn't think he'd be out before the end, but he's made a series of bigger and bigger oversights / bad decisions, and had clearly lost a step. An accidental, casual, impulsive death at the hand of perhaps his least clueful threat. And even then, at least he got to die with some dignity. "Shut the FARK up." Perfect. Added bonus: It's another lovely little instance of Walt thinking he'd solved a problem and been helpful ("call Mike, tell him to run!") having horrible unforeseen results ("ooops, Mike's dead").

The only thing that disappoints me is that (a) the "meth lab in various yuppie houses" and (b) "Walt decides to train Todd" are both such terrible ideas that they seem out of character, to the point of threatening my willful suspension of disbelief. I don't get either of those ideas, and don't think Walt, Jesse or Mike would make them -- even though they're stressed, desperate and leaderless. Don't get it.

And, yeah, I would -love- to see Marie wind up somehow in charge, just for the visual of the cutover to purple meth, but as much as I want to, I don't think I see it happening... even in some kind of "I get to keep the baby, and everyone else in my life is dead; ok Walt, I guess I have no choice but to help you cook" way. But the purple meth would be fun!

But, bottom line, I am pretty sure that (and hope that) whatever happens is completely and utterly unpredicted by any of us. The only ending I kinda hope they avoid is a, "yup, the more things change, the more they stay the same... just another day in the meth business -- now it's just Todd in the goofy hat, carry on" non-resolution. Probably the most honest one (various people dead, Walt's formula continues on unrelenting), but I'm hoping for more than that.

But I really had to reply because of these gems:

FinFangFark:I see Jesse and Walt being the penultimate conflict going into what the 1 year flash forward is all about.

Interesting. So Walt v. Hank, say, as the final conflict? Or do you think Hank will already be out of the way, and Todd v. Walt? Or Walt's out, too, so Todd v. Saul? Hmmmmm.

The Homer Tax:The notion of the "Penultimate Episode" to a season is a common theme of one where someone dies, usually someone unsuspected and Important.

At first, I was all, "huh, I wonder if that's true - the penultimate episode usually has someone important die?" ...

... then I realized: You two don't have any idea what penultimate means, do you? Sheesh.

SFSailor:Crudbucket: I think we can pretty much confirm that Gomez is secretly a DEA agent.

If you meant FBI or Internal Affairs, I think you might be on to something. Especially with the throw-away (?) mention of the FBI in the budget conference call.

I was actually specifically mocking the ridiculous and unfounded speculations that there's something more to Gomez than just being Gomez. Kinda like the one you just launched into. I don't know what show you're watching. And the only reason they showed Hank looking at surveillance photos during a briefing meeting was to illustrate his difficulty at adjusting to being a supervisor instead of a street agent, and that the higher-ups want to put an end to the Fring investigation. To clue you in on this, his boss spent several minutes yelling at him about the difficulty at adjusting to being a supervisor instead of a street agent, and that the higher-ups want to put an end to the Fring investigation.

At first, I was all, "huh, I wonder if that's true - the penultimate episode usually has someone important die?" ...

... then I realized: You two don't have any idea what penultimate means, do you? Sheesh.

The Homer Tax:It's most notable use was probably in every season of "The Wire,"

Lydia gave Mike the list of the 9 guys that worked with him. Chou got killed, and the guy who killed Chou got killed by Mike.

With Todd's prison contacts, and the fact that the loose ends are in separate facilities, it's not that unreasonable to think they could all be taken out before they catch on to what is happening. Unfortunately, the window is pretty small since they will know very soon that their lawyer has been picked up and is flipping, with all of their money confiscated.